Save Tonight
by IlovetowriteSMP
Summary: Cooper Barret says good bye to Port Charles. 3M. COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

**If Gh just had to fire JG, then this is the story I would have given as his exit. **

**The TMK storyline doesn't exist in this story.**

**This was written for the weekly prompt at Soap Fan Fiction. It will only be three chapters long, I think.****You can read about Glo in chapter two, if you want.**

**Save Tonight**

**February 2008**

Cooper Harlan Barret couldn't believe how fast a life could change. He had opened the envelope, while standing in his room above Kelly's, not even thinking it was a big deal. He read the first sentence over and over, till the words swam in front of his eyes and they burned with tears that he choked back, refusing to be weak or feel cheated. He had a duty. He would do his duty. Like he had been taught.

Anything else would be selfish and a slap in the face to all that he believed in: his country, his family, his friends.

Logan strolled into his room, like he owned it, as he was prone to do. "Hey, there, old buddy of mine. Got fifty bucks for your best friend?"

"Not now, Hayes."

Responding to the anguish in his voice Logan froze, forgetting all about the loan he wanted and asked "Coop?"

Cooper looked up, finally dragging his eyes away from the letter.

Logan looked at him with concern. "Man, what's up? What is that?"

"Nothing."

Logan grabbed it away. Cooper jumped up but then sighed, giving up on stopping him. Instead Cooper just looked away, staring out the window, as Logan read aloud "To Specialist Cooper H. Barret,

You have been recalled to duty for the United States Armed Forces and are hearby ordered to return to Camp Pendleton by February 10th, 2008 at which time you will begin preparations to return to Iraq for a year long tour of duty."

Logan stilled. He swallowed hard. Letting out a long breath he said "Oh, God, man...I'm sorry. I knew they could call you back up but I didn't think...Cooper, maybe you should just..."

His head whipped around. _"What?" _

"Not go over there and get your dang head blown off, that's what!"

"Run to Canada? Become traitor to my country? Never, Logan. Never."

Logan shook his head, in frustration and sadness. "Why? Why you want to be a hero so damn bad? Have you not learned there is no glory in it? No one...cares. People who love you Coop- Maxie and your mom and your aunt...me...none of us care if you save the world, not if it gets you killed."

Logan demanded to know "What are trying to prove? Who are you trying to prove it too?"

There was an intense desperation in Logan's tone that spoke of his fear that his best friend was about to vanish from his life, from this whole damn world, and where would that leave Logan? No one had stuck by him longer than Cooper. He couldn't let Cooper go back into Hell without him.

_What kind of God_, Logan wondered,_ would be so cruel as to send Cooper back there again? We barely made it out of there the first time._

Cooper said "I'm not trying to prove anything. I'm doing my job. The one I signed up for. The one I'm proud of. You used to be too."

"Not proud enough to die. Not now. We did our time. _I gave them all I promised."_

"Well, I didn't. I knew I was subject to recall until 2009. I don't have a choice but to report." Cooper pushed past him and walked over to his night stand, where a photo of him and Maxie sat. He picked it up.

Logan picked up a glass off the desk and threw it against the wall.

Cooper asked, smiling slightly, "Feel better?'

"Hell no."

"Watch that temper. I won't be here to pull your ass out of trouble."

"You'll probably come home to find me in the State Penn."

"As long as I come home..."

They looked at each other for a long moment. Then Cooper said "Maxie."

Logan looked down. "Don't, man. I can't do anything for her. She can't stand the sight of me. I don't even like being around her if there are knives nearby."

"There's no one else I can ask. No one else I trust. Keep an eye on her. But don't...don't...don't fall for her."

But they both knew it was way too late for that. Logan had fallen for her, hurt her, been hurt back by her, and lost her all in the span of one night: the one when they consummated their sex bet. He had no illusions that him and Maxie would ever be more. But he also knew their feelings for each other would never be simple. It wasn't love, but it was a million crazy other things that Logan didn't know how to deal with. Especially without Cooper around.

"Me and that crazy blonde? I learned my lesson, believe me, Coop. Besides...I don't think she will ever love anyone besides you."

Cooper prayed that was true, but only if he could make it home one day again. If he could have the life he dreamed about sharing with her. The life he hoped Maxie wanted just as bad as him, the love he hoped she could hold onto when they were miles apart.

XXXXXXXX

**That Night**

Maxie knocked on the door at the Metro Court. Cooper opened it and smiled at her. "You made it."

She came walking in, grinning from ear to ear. "What is with the fancy digs? Are we celebrating something?"

Cooper didn't answer her question, instead he took her into his arms and kissed her. She brought her hand up to caress the side of her face. When she pulled back she said "Well, hello to you too. I think you missed me today, huh?"

"More than you know." Each word was soft and verged on being broken.

Her eyes changed, taking on a concerned glint. They searched his. He eased away and walked over to a bottle of champagne he had chilling. "Want a drink?"

"Sure! You know I love the bubbly stuff." She took the glass he offered and then went and plopped on the bed, bouncing a little bit. "So, what is the story behind this big romantic gesture? Valentine's Day come early this year for us?"

"I just thought we deserved one perfect night."

"All my nights with you are perfect."

"Oh yeah?" he asked as he walked over and kneeled in front of her.

She placed one hands on the side of his face. "You...make my life."

"You make mine, too."

Slowly, he leaned forward, trying to memorize every second of this moment to relive later, the way her eyes sparkled, the way her mouth looked when it was curved into a smile, the way her sighs sounded, and her breath caught right before their lips touched.

A perfect kiss. A perfect love.

He tried not to be greedy and ask for more. But for once this man was fighting his natural inclination to be selfless. He did want more. More and more and more. He wanted forever with her. He could only get it by going by to war, one more time, and fighting for his life, their freedom, and the peace of this very world he hoped to raise their children in.

It seemed like a hell of a price to pay, but he would pay any price he had to in order to get back to Maxie again.

She pulled toward her on the bed, but he pulled back. He took the glass out of her hand and set it down on a nearby table. Then he swooped Maxie up into his arms, carrying her toward the door.

She laughed. "What are you up to now?"

He opened the door and set her in the hallway. "Would you mind?" He motioned at the door.

"What? I don't get it."

"I know this isn't our honeymoon but...if I was a smarter man I would have made you my wife by now...so how about me carrying you over the threshold and just for tonight...we have everything we should have had?"

Her smile was the only answer he needed. He picked her up and carried her back inside, kicking the door closed behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Save Tonight**

**Part Two**

Georgie walked down the stairs of the docks. She knitted her eyebrows at the sight before her.

Logan was sitting with his feet dangling over the water. He was drinking a bottle of beer and cursing into the night about the unfairness of the world.

To Georgie's way of thinking, Logan just didn't appreciate how good of a life he had. He had managed to survive working for Sonny and get out of that life alive- more than most foot soldiers in the Corinthos Morgan army could say. He had a father who was bending over backwards to make amends to him. Two new sisters to love. He used to have a girlfriend till he accused her of cheating and chased Lulu right into another guy's arms. He had a best friend who would die for him. He had his health, even if there were questions about his sanity.

Talking to himself on the pier was not a good sign.

But she could tell he was hurting over something, and it was not in her nature to walk away from someone who needed help or comfort.

He yelled, at the moon, she guessed, or maybe it was God he was challenging "You can't have him! You hear me? Do you hear ME?"

"The whole town hears you."

Logan's head whipped around. "Oh...its you."

"Don't sound so enthused."

He lifted his bottle and said "Want a drink? All us hobos are getting drunk on the docks tonight. Come join the party."

"No, thanks. You do know what you are doing is illegal, right? My dad would haul you in if he walked by right now."

"Daddy's perfect little girl. You plan on making a citizen's arrest, Miss Perfect?"

She sat down next to him, took the bottle and set in on the other side of her, out of his reach. He tried to reach around her for it and she slapped his arm. "I think you are done."

"Yeah, I'm done," he said darkly. "More done than you know."

Looking straight in his eyes, she said "So tell me."

He shook his head and looked away. "What are you doing out here, Georgie? The docks aren't safe in this town."

"Nothing is safe in this town."

"You're right. Of course," he said, flashing a quick rueful smile, "you are always right. No shock there. You know...it was the same in Iraq. Nowhere was safe. Nothing was secure. All you could do was look out for those people you vowed to protect. Keep your eyes open and your head down."

"And pray. You could pray, Logan."

"I don't do that. God don't want to hear from me."

It was one of the saddest things she ever heard.

Logan turned back to look in her eyes again, after holding them for a long moment, he said softly "Cooper has to go back to Iraq."

Georgie froze, blinked, and her eyes slowly closed. All she could think of was her sister. Maxie could so easily lose her way without Cooper's love to make her strong. And when Maxie lost it, every one in their whole world suffered her wrath.

Georgie lifted up his beer bottle and took a drink. "Maybe I will have a sip after all."

"Lawbreaker."

She smiled at him, sadly. "When does he leave?"

"A week."

"This...sucks. But he'll come back. I know he will. Cooper is tough. He made it through once and he can again."

"I won't be there to have his back." Logan looked down. A shudder passed through him. A tear slid from his eyes. Georgie, on impulse, wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. He sagged against her, as if he had no ability to keep himself upright.

She whispered into his ear. "I'll pray for both you and Coop. And we will make it through. We will, Logan."

XXXXXXXXXXX

Maxie lay in Cooper's arms after they made love. As purely happy as he always made her feel, as magical as she believed what they shared was, she could also feel, in this moment, that something was hanging over their heads, waiting to crush them both.

She couldn't think of what she might have done to wreck them. But it had to be her. He would never intentionally hurt her, if they were having problems, somehow she had messed up.

She ran her hand up his chest, and looked up at him. "Being here like this with you...best thing on earth."

"I'm glad you think so."

"Do you think so too, Coop? About being with me?"

His eyes registered surprise. "You know I do." He kissed her. "I hope I haven't...look I know things were hard last fall for us...I was cold to you."

"Not really. You could have been worse."

"I just hope that you know that is all behind us now. I'm past that. I love you...I will never love anyone but you, Maxie."

"So what's the deal? What's going on? Don't hold out on me. I know something is going on with you...with us...tell me what it is, Cooper."

He sighed. "I wanted tonight to be perfect."

"Before you break up with me tomorrow?"

"Before I leave to go back to the military next week."

Her whole face crumpled and he felt horrible about having to tell her the truth.

Maxie cried "No. Hell no! They can't have you. You're mine."

"Uncle Sam seems to think I'm the property of the United States Army. I agreed to serve this country and my service isn't over yet. I have to go, baby."

(_Well, we know I'm going away  
and how I wish...wish it weren't so._

_  
So take this wine and drink with me.  
Lets delay our misery._

Save tonight  
and fight the break of dawn  
Come tomorrow,  
tomorrow I'll be gone.)

She threw her arms around him and sobbed onto his chest. "No, no, I won't let you go."

He ran his hand through her hair. "I'll come back to you...I'll always come back to you, if you wait for me."

She sat up, dragging the cover over herself, and said, in an offended tone. "Of course, I'll wait! You don't think I can?"

"I think you can do whatever you want. I always have. There is no woman who amazes me more than you. You are...one of a kind, and just the kind I could never get over."

"Good. Don't. Don't ever get over me."

She leaned close to him and kissed him. "A week? That's all?"

"Six days now."

Tears flowed down her cheeks. "And you won't consider telling them to go to hell?"

"If I did, I wouldn't be the man you fell in love with and you know that."

"Just checking."

Cooper cupped her cheek. "This is just a pause in us...in our story...just a pause, okay?"

(_There's a log on the fire and it burns like me for you._

_  
Tomorrow comes with one desire to take me away,_

_its true._

_  
It ain't easy to say goodbye.  
Darling, please don't start to cry.  
Cause girl you know I've got to go  
Lord I wish it wasn't so!_

_Save tonight  
and fight the break of dawn.  
Come tomorrow,  
tomorrow I'll be gone_) ( eagle eye cherry)

Thanks for reading! I've been writing a lot lately of all my stories, except Damaged Perfection but I hope to get back to that soon. There should be one more part to this story.


	3. Chapter 3

**Save Tonight**

**Six days later**

The hardest part, Cooper would remember later, was the way Maxie's eyes looked at the airport. Strong but empty, as if he was dying instead of going off to war, as if there was very little chance he could come back to her again.

Life had taught her not to hope. She seemed scared of that particular emotion. To fight that fear she lashed out at every target she could find...but on the day he left there had been none. Just Georgie and Logan standing there trying so hard to say all the right things to Cooper- how they knew he would be home in no time, how they were both sure.

But Maxie is really the only person he saw in that moment. Her eyes begging him to stay, and his heart desperate to be able to.

"Sky Airlines flight 1150 Port Charles to San Diego is now boarding at gate 2."

"That's me," Cooper said.

Logan shook his hand and said "Take care, buddy. Shoot them before they shoot you. Please."

Cooper pulled him into a quick hug. "You got it. I'll keep that one in mind."

Georgie told him "I'm really proud to know someone who would sign up to risk his life for this country. I'll be praying for you."

"Thank you." He hugged Georgie and whispered in her ear "Take care of them for me."

She nodded.

Cooper stepped close to Maxie. She murmured "It can't be time already..."

The last week had flown by, as they spent every second together that they could, trying to make up for all the time that would be lost, and knowing they simply could not.

He cupped her face with his hands. "So beautiful."

She started to cry- loud, broken sobs, not caring who heard.

Cooper told her "This last year...its been the best of my life. You made it that. I'll think of you everyday...I'll remember every single thing."

(_If I had no more time  
No more time left to be here_

_  
Would you cherish what we had?  
Was it everything that you were looking for_?) (Alicia Keyes)

Cooper went on, " And when I can...I'll come home to you. Wherever you are...that's where my home is now."

"I need you here...I"m horrible without you. Don't you know that? Ask anyone!"

"No one knows you. And what they think...that isn't you. You never needed me to make you anything...sane, healthy, whole...you were always magnificent, underneath, you just had to let it show."

"No one could see it but you. Please, please, please...just don't die! Promise you won't. Promise, Cooper. Promise me!"

Seeing her sister, screaming and crying, sent tears streaming down Georgie's face. Logan gruffly took her in his arms, doing his best to keep his own tears from falling.

Instead of answering her, Cooper kissed Maxie.

(_Hold me like this is the last time._

_  
Every time you kiss me  
Kiss me like you'll never see me again._

_  
Every time you touch me  
Touch me like this is the last time._

_  
Promise that you'll love me  
Love me like you'll never see me again)_

Into her ear he whispered "Just a pause. Our love will go on._"_

He stepped back, she reached out and grabbed his hand. Georgie moved out of Logan's arms. She put an arm around her sister. Cooper let go of Maxie's hand.

(_Touch me like this is the last time-  
see everyday we never know._

_  
Promise that you'll love me-  
I want you to promise me.Love me like you'll never see me again-  
like you'll never see me again.)  
_

He started to walk away. Maxie's eyes were locked on him. Georgie said "Let's go..."

"No, no, no...Cooper!" Maxie ran after him. He turned around and scooped her into his arms. She kissed him again. "I love you! Write me. Call me. Don't love anyone else but me."

"I never could."

He set her down.

Maxie said "Well, good. Cause there is no way in hell I am letting the army ruin my relationship. Who do they think they are? Really? You...you...you're still mine. But I guess they can borrow you for a little while...since they are being so pigheaded and stubborn about it and all. You just hurry back, okay! Hurry..."

One last kiss. One last moment where their love was perfect.

Then he had to walk away, with his heart and head and soul praying that he would one day be able to walk back into Maxie's arms again. She thought that he made her a better person, that he saved her from herself. But Cooper knew it was Maxie who made his world better. Before her, he was selfish, he was greedy, he was eager to get something for nothing, he was a criminal. She never saw any of that though. Because from the moment he fell for her in that vault, he left all that behind.

That night saved his life. This woman he loved, saved him from being an average everyday loser working in a crew with a bunch of other losers. She made his life extraordinary, if only for the span of one short year.

It was a year of love and loss. Perfect in its own imperfect way. It was the year Cooper Harlan Barret fell in love for the last time in his life.

(_Love me like you'll never see me again  
like you'll never see me again...)  
_

THE END


End file.
